Rep. Holt: Tennessee Moves To Block Syrian Refugees

State Rep. Andy Holt (R-District 76)

NASHVILLE, November 16, 2015– On Monday morning, State Rep. Andy Holt signed a letter requesting that Governor Haslam take immediate action to block incoming Syrian Refugees that may be heading for Tennessee. More than 40 legislators from the Senate and House added their name. This afternoon, Governor Haslam announced that he would be requesting a suspension of refugee placement in Tennessee until the federal government was willing to work more closely with the state of Tennessee in the vetting process.

“In wake of the Paris and Chattanooga terror attacks, so many of my constituents were concerned with this,” said Holt. “It is important that people know their government officials hear them loud and clear. I ran a petition to help give my constituents a voice and the response was overwhelming.”

Officials have confirmed that at least one of the terrorists responsible for the attack on Paris arrived in France disguised as a refugee.

“FBI director James Comey has confirmed that virtually no vetting process currently exists. For the safety of Tennesseans, it is crucial that these refugees are vetted so that we can ensure there are no ties to terror networks,” said Holt. “Until that can be done, not a single person should be allowed into the state. To allow these terrorists an wide-open door is just asking for trouble.”